Chapter Twenty-Five

The Lesser Evil

Sunday morning was a positively brilliant one in the eyes of the three young boys who lingered at breakfast, as the Ravenclaw boy snuck over to the Gryffindor table with a note in hand, grinning from ear to ear.

"I just got a note from Danny!" he told them, sliding onto the bench.

"Well, go on then, what's the news?" Doug asked.

"She says that after she got done talking to Dumbledore, he took her to the Ministry, and she's staying at Minister Weasley's house," Taylor said, passing the note to Corey to see. "She's going to be staying there for a few days and she might even be back at school soon, but no matter what, Dumbledore promised her that she wouldn't have to go back with her father."

"'I guess I should have listened to you guys to begin with. There are a lot of things perhaps I should have said a long time ago, but I will never forget that you three stuck by me regardless. Please give my love to Caprica and let her know I'm safe.'" Corey read out loud.

"Does that not beat all? First Dumbledore goes and overturns our detentions, and Danny is finally safe and sound. I love this school," Doug said.

"Well, it's not over yet. Don't forget who her next of kin is," Corey sighed.

"Yeah, Malfoy. You don't really think she'll have to live with him, do you?" Doug said.

"I don't trust him," Corey admitted. "I wonder what they're going to do."

"I don't know, but Danny always seemed to like him," Taylor said. "Remember how she went on about the new broom he gave her?"

"There's more to life than money and good presents," Corey said.

"Yes, but I think it's more than that. After all, she's family, and if there's one thing I've noticed is that most pure bloods pride their families above everything," Taylor said.

"You might be right, Taylor. But what if she changes? I mean, to be more, well, Malfoyish," Doug asked.

"Not Danny," Corey said, shaking her head. "No matter what happens, she'll always be d'Artagnan to me."

"A toast then," Doug said, raising up his pumpkin juice. "To the Slytherin, our missing number, a girl in a class by herself…'cuz nobody else can keep their marks up with her anyhow… may she return soon," he said as the others raised their glasses.

"And may she return soon enough to win the final Slytherin game and bounce the Gryffindors back to second place after that gross fifty point gain they received for breaking every school rule imaginable," said a stern voice behind them. Corey grinned broadly and looked up to where Snape stood behind him.

"If she does, I'll be the first to congratulate her," Corey said with exaggerated dignity.

"No, you won't. I'm allowed on the Pitch before you," Snape said with an almost imperceptible smirk before striding out the back door.

After a quick run to Minerva for an alteration, Jennifer squeezed into her wintergreen dress and grabbed her cloak, meeting Severus at her office. He was tapping his hand thoughtfully against his arm, looking irritated. A smile crept onto Jennifer's face, and he caught it, sighing softly.

"I still think they should have at least gotten detention for breaking into your office."

"Come now, Severus, you heard what Dumbledore said. It was Caprica's doing, not theirs. Besides, aren't you the one who is always telling Corey to never go anywhere without the proper equipment?"

"Where in that line does it say 'breaking and entering' is allowed to accomplish that?" Severus glared.

"Well, telling me about it doesn't do any good. Talk to Dumbledore, he's the one who overruled you," Jennifer said gently.

"You would have gone easy on them too, wouldn't you?" he accused her.

"Absolutely," Jennifer said. "Just like Dumbledore went easy on you for hitting Nelson in the first place." Severus frowned but said nothing as Jennifer grabbed a handful of powder and entered the fireplace.

Jennifer and Severus hadn't waited long in front of the office of Archimedes Muse before Molly and Danny came out, Molly patting her shoulder encouragingly. Danny looked up and smiled when she saw them, and Jennifer couldn't help but give the girl a warm hug.

"I am so glad to see you! Are you all right?" Jennifer asked her.

"I will be, I think," Danny answered, slightly reserved but smiling nonetheless. "Did…that is, did anyone come forward for saving me?" she asked.

"No," Severus said quickly before Jennifer could reply. "I suppose they're going to get away scot-free, despite their obvious display in front of Muggles," he said disapprovingly. "By the way, Miss Nelson. About what occurred that last night at Hogwarts…"

"It wasn't your fault," Danny said, shaking her head. "He would have taken me out of school no matter what happened, I don't have any doubt of that. And I wouldn't have missed seeing you deck him for anything," she added with a grin.

"Are you two coming in, or are you just going to keep us waiting?" Dumbledore asked Severus and Jennifer from the door of the office.

"Yes, well, we'll be running off to get something to eat. We'll be back in a bit," Molly told everyone with a smile. Jennifer waved to Danny and Molly and went inside with Severus close behind. Sitting companionably beside the judge, Lunette Vallid waved cheerfully at them, while Arthur stood up with a smile, offering Jennifer a seat. The Magistrate glanced over some papers in front of them while they got settled, then looked over at Jennifer, folding his hands.

"Professor Dumbledore and Counselor Vallid suggested that you might like to attend this meeting, and since you both turned in such strong and well thought out statements as to the welfare of the child in question, I myself was interested in hearing your input in what I have before me. Especially considering the circumstances," the Magistrate mused.

"Right now, Miss Nelson is a temporary ward of the state until which time the matter of her custody is settled. Her father, of course, is expected to protest, but considering the evidence, I am hoping to get it settled as quickly as possible, so not to cause Miss Nelson any more grief," he said. "But my true concern at the moment is that of the family member who is now… and has been for some time… seeking custody of her. Lucius Malfoy," the Magistrate looked over at Jennifer and she nodded slowly. "In the eyes of the court, Malfoy is a guiltless man," he said, "But as the court's guardian, I am concerned about handing this child over to him. Miss Nelson has already expressed her desire to be with her aunt and uncle, and I have heard a very strong opinion against this from Minister Weasley and mixed opinions from Dumbledore and Vallid. But after our dealings together, and knowing your history with him as well as your reputation for integrity, I would also like to hear your opinion on this subject, Professor Craw." Jennifer couldn't help but be a bit surprised at the request. The Minister's opinion she could see, as well as Dumbledore's as the school Headmaster and Vallid as a fellow judge. She wasn't even a Council member, and although she had often given advice to the Ministry as a friend, those were entirely different circumstances. She glanced over at Dumbledore, who nodded encouragingly, and then at Severus, who looked back at her steadily a moment before she finally looked back at the judge.

"You want my opinion on Lucius Malfoy," she repeated, getting a nod from the judge. Jennifer thought quietly to herself for a moment before she spoke. "My opinion of Lucius Malfoy is that he is a murderer and a liar, who delights in destroying lives and torturing those who come against him, and will do anything in his power to see that it happens. But," she added, taking a deep breath. "I would say exactly the same thing about my father, and my father would never lay a hand on me or my children and would do anything in his power to protect us. A Malfoy would no more turn on one of his own family than a Craw would. His son Draco may not have been the most friendly of students, but he didn't turn out too badly under the circumstances. I also know that what he did to help Danny before Christmas was quite questionable, but considering what we have learned since then, what would any of us do knowing a child we cared for might die unless we took desperate measures to keep them safe? So, I guess what I'm saying is, if Danny wishes to stay with Lucius and Narcissa, I think we should trust her judgment. She's finally learned to speak up when something's wrong, and I seriously doubt it's a lesson she'll forget if this doesn't work out. She knows she has friends now, and as long as she has access to them, I think she'll be alright."

Muse leaned back thoughtfully, looking over at Jennifer and then at Dumbledore, who was smiling approvingly at her.

"Then, I think I have made up my mind on how to proceed. We will go with your suggestion, Dumbledore," the Magistrate said, looking back over at Jennifer. "If Jennifer with all she knows and can not legally say does not think he will harm her either, Professor, that is enough to convince me. In any case, I do believe Narcissa can manage in the event that we can finally nail something solid on him. I think she's proven that already for how she handled herself with Draco during his first time in jail."

Jennifer looked back over at Dumbledore, wondering what plan they were referring to, but he only smiled reassuringly at her, not revealing his thoughts.

Anna and Sirius had been waiting for him to arrive, standing on one side of the reception talking to Ederick. Nelson stormed up to the desk with a counselor at his side, hovering over Penelope menacingly while she merely raised an eyebrow at him.

"I demand to speak with Minister Weasley at once!"

"Minister Weasley is in a meeting with the Magistrate and can't be disturbed right now," said Penelope.

"If it's concerning my daughter, I think I should be included."

"Is there anything we can help you with, Mr. Nelson?" Ederick asked from across the room.

"Thurspire," Nelson growled, walking over to them. "I should have known you had something to do with this."

"Oh, perhaps a little bit, here and there," Ederick said cheerfully, "although I can't take most the credit, or blame, whichever way you want to look at it. Do you know my acquaintances, Mr. and Mrs. Black? Anna Black works with our Muggle division."

"Yes, and I've been doing a bit of research on you, Mr. Nelson," Anna said. "It seems you've developed quite a few Muggle investments over the years, and even served on the board of several major banks, quite impressive."

"Is there a point to this, Mrs. Black?" Mr. Nelson said testily.

"I just think it's going to be a shame when you lose it all because of your poor bookkeeping," Anna said. "After all the hard work and all the backs you had to break to get where you are today," she tsked, shaking her head. "But, I'm afraid I'll have to turn this into the commission in any case," she said. Nelson's look grew dark as she handed out the papers in front of her, snatching them away and looking over them.

"You can't report this! Those aren't even actual losses!" Nelson protested.

"Oh, aren't they? According to these figures, there's at least fifty million pounds missing from your accounts. Mysteriously, it all just disappeared right out of the bank's net," Sirius said, tapping the paper. "Now what do you think would happen if we got a hold of your exchange records and took a look in your personal vault at Gringotts?"

"There is no way you can prove by any Muggle means that it was me," Nelson said, throwing the papers back at her.

"Even so, there will be an investigation as to what happened to the missing money, and the stock holders will be told," Anna said.

"An expensive investigation. Not to mention how many investors will pull out, fearing a corrupt banking system," Sirius added.

"More than likely they'll call for an entirely new board if the source of the discrepancy isn't found," Ederick mused. "Of course, if some accountant from our side does happen to decide to speak up, you'll be in jail, out of a job, and completely penniless."

"Enough," Nelson growled, lowering his voice. "What do you want?"

After a brisk lunch at the Cauldron, Molly cheerfully escorted Danny back to the Council Building to find her husband waiting for them, greeting his wife with a kiss on the cheek and a whisper in the ear.

"Well, I'll be off now, Danny. Take care," she said, turning to Arthur, "and remember to mind yourself around the girl's uncle."

"Don't worry, dear, I know how to handle myself. I'm the Minister after all," Arthur said, putting an arm around Danny and escorting her up the hall.

"My uncle's going to be here?" Danny asked.

"Yes, the Magistrate sent for him just a bit ago," Arthur acknowledged. "He's talking with your father at the moment, but you need not worry about that. He's probably just trying to set up a court date for the custody hearing."

"Hearing?" Danny repeated. "You mean I still might have to go back?" Arthur stopped and took her shoulders in hand, looking at her seriously.

"Now, I don't want you worrying about it. It's just a formality to hear your father's side of things, but there isn't any way you're going to go back there, you be sure of that. Now be a brave girl and it'll all be all right. Come on, they're probably waiting on us," he said, heading back over to the office.

Just as they arrived, Nelson was coming out of the office with a grim expression on his face, followed by Ederick and Anna, stopping long enough to grin at Jennifer. She broke into a wide smile in response, leaning over to whisper something to Severus. Nelson paused as he saw Danny, regarding her with open disdain.

"You were always too much like your mother. She was expensive too. So be it, I was better off without her, and I am certainly better off without you. Let your uncle put up with your disgraces if you like. You have failed me for the last time," Byron snarled heading for the door.

"Who failed whom?" Arthur said, glaring at the man's back.

"Let that be a lesson," Nelson said, glancing at Arthur coldly. "Never trust anyone, not even family," he said.

"Especially when that family happens to be you, Byron," a familiar voice said from the doorway. Byron took a step to the side to prevent turning his back to Lucius Malfoy, who was gazing at Byron with a challenging look in his steel blue eyes.

"At least I didn't grovel like a servant the moment I felt outmatched," Byron retorted.

"At least I didn't run like a sniveling coward," Lucius replied in return.

"Well, I'm sure this has been a nice, loving little family reunion, but I think Magistrate Muse is expecting you in his office, Mr. Malfoy. Mr. Nelson decided to go ahead and waive his custody rights, so the sooner we get this straightened out the better," Thurspire said.

"Oh he did?" Lucius said with a slightly surprised smile. "What ever sort of information did you sloppily allow them to get their hands on that forced you to do that?" Byron looked at his brother-in-law darkly, but before he could reply, Lucius had gently nudged Danny towards the office and followed behind her. Barking at his counselor to follow, Nelson left. Jennifer leaned back into Severus out of pure relief, while Sirius stepped over to Anna and kissed her gently.

"You know, that was positively brilliant, digging up that embezzlement charge on Nelson," Sirius told her.

"I knew that if it were a choice between his money and the girl, he'd choose the money," Anna shrugged.

"Well, at least she's safe now," Sirius said. "But I'm not all that sure Malfoy will allow her to go to Hogwarts, what with not being allowed on the premises and all."

"We'll probably end up having to let him back in if she does," Severus agreed.

"Why is it that every time we make life easier for someone else, we always seem to make it complicated for ourselves," Jennifer asked, only half joking.

"It's the price we pay for being professors at Hogwarts," Severus replied.

Lucius nodded curtly to Dumbledore as they walked into the room, and he glanced warily over at Vallid, who looked back at him expressionlessly before smiling warmly at Danny. Magistrate Muse went over to this desk, sorting out the appropriate papers.

"Lucius Malfoy, it is come to my attention that you have petitioned for guardianship of this child, and we have here notarized copies of your means to prove your ability to provide for her. Is it still your wish to pursue this petition?"

"It is, Magistrate," Lucius nodded.

"I have had a lengthy discussion with Miss Nelson as well as some of my advisers, and I have come to the decision to grant the petition, provided," he added, holding up his hand, "that the previous decisions made about her welfare while she was a ward of the court be honored as well." Lucius squinted.

"Which are?" he asked.

"Her guaranteed education in a local school where the court may keep an eye on her; namely, Hogwarts Academy of Witchcraft and Wizardry," Muse said, "and her right to decide for herself which courses and sports she wants to enter into, regardless of whether or not her guardian is allowed to attend." Lucius clamped his jaw shut and looked over at Dumbledore accusingly. So, Dumbledore had guessed that Lucius was planning to make his allowance on school property a condition of her returning and had made sure he didn't have that leverage. Dumbledore smiled thinly at Lucius, who frowned at him before nodding reluctantly to the judge.

"Good! Then it's settled' All that's left now is to sign," Muse smiled at Danny, who smiled back happily in return.

"Please, use my pen," Dumbledore offered, putting the Veritaquill on the table. With only a cursory look, Lucius signed it, followed by Danny and the witnesses. "Now Danny, I expect you back at Hogwarts in a week or so, once you've gotten settled. We can't have you falling too far behind."

"Don't worry sir, I will try to be back in time for Quidditch practice," Danny grinned happily. "We can't have the best Slytherin Seeker in fifty years come up missing on the most important game of the season, can we?"